COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Coaching clash

Florida’s Billy Donovan and Kentucky’s John Calipari  old friends  know they will have many confrontations in the SEC.

By Kevin BrockwayStaff writer

Published: Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, May 25, 2009 at 8:39 p.m.

The phone calls came during the course of the 2008 season.

Florida coach Billy Donovan was rebuilding after guiding the Gators to back-to-back national championships. John Calipari, then coaching Memphis, was dealing with the pressure of continuing a 27-game winning streak and holding a No. 1 ranking in the country.

Calipari sought Donovan’s advice in how to handle the high expectations.

“The last three weeks of the season, to keep the guys going, he gave me some things that we did and it was fabulous,” Calipari said. “And then in the Final Four, he was great.”

Calipari and Donovan have been friends since meeting at Five Star Basketball Camps in the 1980s, when Donovan was a player-counselor and Calipari was a young assistant at Pittsburgh under Paul Evans.

When Donovan went through his two championship runs, he asked Calipari for a scouting report on finals opponents UCLA and Ohio State (Memphis faced both during the course of the season.) Calipari also spent mornings with Donovan’s dad, William, eating breakfast with him at Dunkin’ Donuts.

The relationship between Donovan and Calipari, though, could take an interesting turn in the coming years. When Kentucky hired Calipari in April to replace Billy Gillispie, it instantly pitted two of the country’s top college basketball recruiters in the same division.

■ ■ ■

This spring, Calipari got the upper hand, landing a pair of point guards that Donovan coveted. Four-star guard Eric Bledsoe, who in early April listed Florida as his top choice, changed his mind and signed a letter-of-intent to Kentucky in early May. Then earlier this week, Calipari landed top overall 2009 recruit John Wall. Wall had Florida in his final four before eventually signing with the Wildcats.

Donovan said he doesn’t expect the recruiting battles to affect his relationship with Calipari. But Florida’s tenuous point guard situation heading into next season could have received a boost from at least one of the two prospects.Bledsoe even admitted he would have ended up at Florida had it not been for Calipari.

“There’s a lot of good players out there and there’s a lot of good teams out there and a lot of good coaches out there,” Donovan said. “You know, when I came into the league, Coach [Rick] Pitino was there and they were recruiting pretty well. Kentucky is a great program, great tradition and Kentucky will be good, they are always good. And hopefully we can do a good job on our end continuing to recruit and build.”

Said Calipari: “We won’t recruit that much against each other. There will be a couple of kids that we will both go for. I mean, there’s a lot of kids out there. You know, if we’re recruiting eight or nine kids he may be recruiting one or two.

“He’s not going to have an issue with me recruiting anybody and I don’t think I’ll have an issue with him. If a Florida kid wants to go to Florida, have at it.”

Louisville coach Rick Pitino, who has close relationships with both Donovan and Calipari, said he expects both coaches to coexist in the Southeastern Conference’s Eastern Division.

“They are different types of recruiters,” Pitino said. “They will both go after the best players in the nation. It’s their M.O. They will look at the top 20 players in the nation and go after them and compete. (Tennessee coach) Bruce Pearl has his methods of recruiting and don’t count out Anthony Grant, who just took over at Alabama. He’ll have a very strong presence in recruiting.

“The SEC, which has been down, will come back as ferocious as ever, because of the recruiting. What makes any league is the ability not for the coaches to coach, but the coaches to recruit and coach. You are now stepping up the recruiting in the SEC immensely.”

■ ■ ■

Three years ago, Donovan and Calipari worked together to help guard Doneal Mack. Mack, a 2006 Florida signee, was academically cleared to play Division I basketball, but did not meet UF’s admission standards. Donovan referred Mack and his family to Calipari and Memphis. Mack went on to sign with Memphis and has enjoyed a productive college career.

“He wanted him with me at the end of the day,” Calipari said. “He said, ‘Look, if he can’t get here, here’s who you have to talk to, here are the people that are involved.’

“He’s been good to me. We’ve been good to each other, throughout the years.”

For all the talent that Calipari has stockpiled at Kentucky, the interesting test will come on the court. Because Donovan does not like to schedule games against coaches he considers friends, he’s never faced Calipari head-to-head. The inevitable first meeting between coaches will come next winter, when Kentucky faces Florida at the O’Connell Center.

“I don’t like coaching against friends, but if you’re in the league, you’ve got to do it,” Calipari said. “We play two games. I’ll root for him in every game other than those two.”

<p>The phone calls came during the course of the 2008 season.</p><p>Florida coach Billy Donovan was rebuilding after guiding the Gators to back-to-back national championships. John Calipari, then coaching Memphis, was dealing with the pressure of continuing a 27-game winning streak and holding a No. 1 ranking in the country.</p><p>Calipari sought Donovan’s advice in how to handle the high expectations.</p><p>The last three weeks of the season, to keep the guys going, he gave me some things that we did and it was fabulous, Calipari said. And then in the Final Four, he was great.</p><p>Calipari and Donovan have been friends since meeting at Five Star Basketball Camps in the 1980s, when Donovan was a player-counselor and Calipari was a young assistant at Pittsburgh under Paul Evans.</p><p>When Donovan went through his two championship runs, he asked Calipari for a scouting report on finals opponents UCLA and Ohio State (Memphis faced both during the course of the season.) Calipari also spent mornings with Donovan’s dad, William, eating breakfast with him at Dunkin’ Donuts. </p><p>The relationship between Donovan and Calipari, though, could take an interesting turn in the coming years. When Kentucky hired Calipari in April to replace Billy Gillispie, it instantly pitted two of the country’s top college basketball recruiters in the same division.</p><p>■ ■ ■</p><p>This spring, Calipari got the upper hand, landing a pair of point guards that Donovan coveted. Four-star guard Eric Bledsoe, who in early April listed Florida as his top choice, changed his mind and signed a letter-of-intent to Kentucky in early May. Then earlier this week, Calipari landed top overall 2009 recruit John Wall. Wall had Florida in his final four before eventually signing with the Wildcats.</p><p>Donovan said he doesn’t expect the recruiting battles to affect his relationship with Calipari. But Florida’s tenuous point guard situation heading into next season could have received a boost from at least one of the two prospects.Bledsoe even admitted he would have ended up at Florida had it not been for Calipari.</p><p>There’s a lot of good players out there and there’s a lot of good teams out there and a lot of good coaches out there, Donovan said. You know, when I came into the league, Coach [Rick] Pitino was there and they were recruiting pretty well. Kentucky is a great program, great tradition and Kentucky will be good, they are always good. And hopefully we can do a good job on our end continuing to recruit and build.</p><p>Said Calipari: We won’t recruit that much against each other. There will be a couple of kids that we will both go for. I mean, there’s a lot of kids out there. You know, if we’re recruiting eight or nine kids he may be recruiting one or two. </p><p>He’s not going to have an issue with me recruiting anybody and I don’t think I’ll have an issue with him. If a Florida kid wants to go to Florida, have at it.</p><p>Louisville coach Rick Pitino, who has close relationships with both Donovan and Calipari, said he expects both coaches to coexist in the Southeastern Conference’s Eastern Division.</p><p>They are different types of recruiters, Pitino said. They will both go after the best players in the nation. It’s their M.O. They will look at the top 20 players in the nation and go after them and compete. (Tennessee coach) Bruce Pearl has his methods of recruiting and don’t count out Anthony Grant, who just took over at Alabama. He’ll have a very strong presence in recruiting. </p><p>The SEC, which has been down, will come back as ferocious as ever, because of the recruiting. What makes any league is the ability not for the coaches to coach, but the coaches to recruit and coach. You are now stepping up the recruiting in the SEC immensely.</p><p>■ ■ ■</p><p>Three years ago, Donovan and Calipari worked together to help guard Doneal Mack. Mack, a 2006 Florida signee, was academically cleared to play Division I basketball, but did not meet UF’s admission standards. Donovan referred Mack and his family to Calipari and Memphis. Mack went on to sign with Memphis and has enjoyed a productive college career.</p><p>He wanted him with me at the end of the day, Calipari said. He said, Look, if he can’t get here, here’s who you have to talk to, here are the people that are involved.’</p><p>He’s been good to me. We’ve been good to each other, throughout the years.</p><p>For all the talent that Calipari has stockpiled at Kentucky, the interesting test will come on the court. Because Donovan does not like to schedule games against coaches he considers friends, he’s never faced Calipari head-to-head. The inevitable first meeting between coaches will come next winter, when Kentucky faces Florida at the O’Connell Center.</p><p>I don’t like coaching against friends, but if you’re in the league, you’ve got to do it, Calipari said. We play two games. I’ll root for him in every game other than those two.</p><p><i>Contact Kevin Brockway at brockwy@gvillesun.com or 352-374-5054.</i></p>